Specifically, he wanted a rematch with interim champion Carlos Condit.

Of course, when you have just one blemish on your professional ledger, it has a way of eating at you.

MacDonald, 22, is 4-1 since joining the UFC. The Canadian, who’s a fixture at Tristar Gym, won his first 10 fights (six submissions and four knockouts) before he suffered a TKO loss to Condit at UFC 115. After a fast start for MacDonald, who made a successful UFC debut against Mike Guymon, Condit ultimately took control in the third round and forced a TKO stoppage with just seven seconds left in the fight.

Since then, MacDonald has defeated Nate Diaz, Mike Pyle and Che Mills, the latter two by knockout.

So when the question was asked about whom he’d like to fight next, MacDonald had one guy on his radar.

“Carlos Condit,” MacDonald told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “But he’s busy right now. He’s got a fight coming up, so I have to work my way up to that level (with someone else).”

Condit, of course, won the interim title in February with a victory over Nick Diaz. He’s now on the sidelines awaiting a likely UFC 154 headliner with MacDonald’s training partner: UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

Additionally, the UFC recently slotted top contenders Johny Hendricks and Martin Kampmann for a co-headliner at UFC 154.

That left MacDonald with few options.

“But then the UFC approached me about the fight with B.J.,” said MacDonald, who now fights Sept. 22 at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in a pay-per-view co-headliner. “It sparked my interest, so I figured, ‘Why not?'”

Obviously, the UFC encouraged MacDonald to call out Penn, a former lightweight and welterweight fighter who announced his retirement following an October loss to Nick Diaz. But UFC president Dana White mentioned that Penn might come back, so they gave him some encouragement in the form of MacDonald calling him out.

MacDonald apparently appreciated the UFC’s assist. After all, when it comes to available matchups or contenders, he’s admittedly out of the loop.

“I never know anything about the headlines or what’s happening in the sport,” he said. “I just don’t pay much attention to it. I’m so caught up with training all the time, and I really don’t care about other people’s business and drama and that stuff. If the fights happen, they happen.

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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